Absorption apparatus



- C. L. VORESS ET AL ABSORPTION APPARATUS March 16 ,1926. r 1,577,200

Filed August 5, 1925 Patented UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE L. VORESS, CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, VERNON OKLAHOMA, AND ROBERT W. SKOOG, OF CHARLESTON,

C. CANTER, OF TULSA,

SIGNORS TO GASOLINE RECOVERY CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ABSORPTION APPARATUS.

Application filed August a, 1925. Serial o. 47,856.

A To all whom it may concerni' Be it known that we, CLYDE L. VORESS, VERNON C. CANTER, and ROBERT W. SKooe, citizens of the United States, residing at Charleston, county ofKanawha, State of West Virginia, at Tulsa, county of Tulsa, State of Oklahoma, and at Charleston, in the county of'Kanawha and State of West Virginia, respectively, have invented certain new and useful; Improvements in Absorption Apparatusaand we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus and equipment for use especially in the art of vapor recovery. More especially it relates to a novel type absorption apparatus, and to a specific arrangement of such absorption apparatus.

In the industry of recovery of vapors from gaseous'mixture's certain disadvantages of apparatus are known which we overcome by the improved apparatus hereinafter decally scribed. In apparatus asset forth in United States Patent No. 1,402,340 referring specifito the absorbing tower there described, difliculty is experienced in retaining the absorbent material within the tower under large flow of gaseous mixtures through the same. Further under such conditions the absorbent material quickly disintegrates to dust and is therefore lfost. Under conditions of pressure usually found in the industry, it is not commercially feasible to greatly increase .thediameter of a vertical tower. We have conceived a new and improved apparatus which allows an unlimited expansion of the cross section of the bed of the absorbent independent of the pressure 'or great volumes of flow of gaseous mixtures to be treated. coincidentally there is ob tained uniform distribution of flow through the bed of absorbent not attainable in that type of apparatus described in United States Patent No. 1,429,856.

In theaccompanying drawing; I

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the apparatus taken on line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal I sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a vessel of any suitable material, of any desired size and shape but preferably cylindrical, placed in a horizontal position with respect -to the earths plane. 2 there passes t'erial. The the tube by a tube 3 of any suitable maport'is ent rely closed around either welding or other means WEST VIRGINIA, AS-- Through inlet or outlet port of connection to prevent leakage. The saidtube has suitable apertures 3 openin within the vessel or' drum at such desire points as to permit the exit or entrance of gases and vapors in such a way that they will not disturb or damage the solid absorbent with which the horizontal central portion of the drum is packed. A grating 4 of such material and mechanical structure as may be necessary is placed to bear the weight that is to be imposed upon it. Immediately on top of the grating is placed a suitable screen 5 of porous inert material in such a wa that the solid absorbent to be placed thereon will not appreciably. sift through, but porous enough to gases, liquids and vapors. granular solid 'porousf absorbent such as activated charcoal, .iron gel, silica gel, etc, rests upon the screen and grating at the bottom. On to of the porous absorbent rests a screen or ody of foraminous material 7 securely attached to the side walls in such a way as to substantially prevent any of the solid absorbent from passing upward. Through a second port 8 in the drum, preferably at the opposite end thereof, there passes a second tube 9. This tube is also apertured in such a way that gases, vapors or liquids entering through it will not disturb or damage the solid absorbent below. The port where it enters the drum is also securely closed around the tube either by welding or other suitable means. We are aware that tube 9 may equally as well enter in the opposite end. At convenient points in the shell, openings with removable covers can be provided to allow entrance and exit in course of construction.

This apparatus is characterized by these tain the necessary amount of absorbent mapermit free flow therethroughfof a A mass 65 1f -I ciently small holes to prevent passa terial relative to the base surface throu h which the gases to be contacted with tie absorbent must ass.

Second. The epth of the layer of solid absorbent may also be easily increased or decreased to assist in securing the proper ratio of base surface to the amount of gas to be contacted with the absorbent.

Third. The apertured disseminator at the bottom if used as the inlet, has its openings arranged to direct the gas downwardly so as not to form a gas blast against the absorbent materialthereby mechanically wearin" it away.

Fourth. The grating 4 is added to give mechanical strength for the sup ort of the absorbent material. It is not oi such close construction as would revent the absorbent material from falling t irough if it were not for the screen placed thereon.

Fifth. The screen placed on the grating need not have great mechanical strength since the grating supports the screen at short intervals of space. The screen would not have sufficient mechanical strength to maintain the weight of the absorbent if it were not for the grating.

Sixth. Both the screen and grating are of such material and construction that substantially no resistance is offered to the fiow of gases, li aids or vapors therethrough.

Sevent 1. The screen placed'above the absorbent is fastened at the edges and arranged so that it can either expand or settle with the absorbent material. Its purpose is to prevent absorbent material from being blown from the bed through the upper apertureddisseminator and lost, and also to prevent an uneven surface from forming in the absorbent material. If desired, weights may be laced on top of the screen.

Eight 1. The upper apertured disseminator is arranged in a similar way to the lower apertured disseminator, so that gas or liquid being passed through it will not strike the absorbent with a blast and tend to disturb the surface or crush and grind the absorbent material.

An apparatus for carrying out a continuous process of vapor recovery is described in Patent No. 1,402,340, wherein three such vessels of the type described herein can readily be used.

We are well aware that the two apertured disseminators might both enter from the same end, or that a multiplicity of disseminators might be used without departing from the spirit of this invention. We are also aware that the platform upon which the solid absorbent rests might be made in one piece rather than a grating and screen, by. usin and supporting some material having su e of ap preciable quantities of the solid a sorbent therethrough. A

. arranged The advantages of such an apparatus are obvious and are believed novel in so far as a new type of absorber is included in the system.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An apparatus consisting of a horizontally disposed drum having an apertured disseminator arranged in the lower portion of the same near the bottom and extending along the lower part of the drum -for substantially the entire length of the latter, a mechanical support in the drum rigidly sccured to the latter slightly above the said disseminator, substantially stationary solid absorbent material carried by the support, a second mechanical support between the absorbent material and first mentioned support and having openings sufficiently small to prevent particles of the solid absorbent material from passing therethrough, and a second apertureddisseminator extending along the upper ortion of the drum above the solid absor ent.

2. An apparatus consisting of a horizontally disposed drum of suitable material containing a body of solid absorbent material and having two apertured disseminators entering from the outside and extending along the interior of the drum for substantially the entire length of the latter, one in the upperv portion and the other in the lower portion, said apertures being so arranged that gas passing through the lower disseminator will be directed downwardly while gas passing through the upper disseminator will be directed upwardly.

3. An apparatus consistin of a cylindrical drum placed horizontal y with respect to the earths plane and having parallel conduits entering at either end and extending for substantially the entire length of the apparatus, one near the bottom and the other near the top, said conduits having openlngs therein to permit gases, vapors, or lHElldS to enter and leave said apparatus, a ed of solid absorbent placed between said conduits and resting upon suitable mechanical supports fixed above the lower conduit and held in place from above by suitable mechanical means.

4. An apparatus consistin of a horizontally disposed cylindrical rum having a supporting screen, solid absorbent resting upon the supporting screen, a screen secured by above the absorbent, conduits entering the lower and upper ortions of said mechanical means to the drum and;

drum and extending one un er and one over will be directed upwardly and will not directly im inge upon the solid absorbent in the sai drum.

5. An apparatus consisting of a horizontally disposed shell having an internal platform containing small apertures to permit passage of gases therethrough, and securely fastened to said shell, :1 bed of granular solid absorbent material resting on said platform, a. perforated screen between the platform and absorbent material of a mesh-suflieiently small to prevent the absorbent from sifting through the same, a second perforated screen securely fastened to the walls of said shell and resting on top of said solid absorbent, and apertured di-sseminators placed in said shell and extending from the outside both under and above said bed of solid absorbent for substantially the entire length of the latter.

6., An apparatus consisting of a horizon.- tal shell having an internal platform near the bottom and attached to the walls of the shell, said platform having holes of any desired size therethrough, a bed of granular solid absorbent resting on said platform, a perforated member resting on said absorbent and fastened to the shell in such a way that it may rise or fall with the absorbent as the latter expands or contacts, an apertured disseminator arranged in the lower por ion of the shell and extending along substantially the entire length thereof lunder the absorbent bed, and a second aperturcd disseminator entering the shell and extendin along substantially the entire length of the shell above the absorbent.

7. An apparatus consisting of a horizontal shell having an internal apertured platform near the bottom and attached to the walls of the shell, a bed of granular solid absorbent resting on said platform, a orforated member restin on said absor ent and fastened to the shell in such a way that it may rise or fall with the absorbent as the latter expands or contacts, an apertured conduit entering throu h a port in one end of the shell and exten in substantially the length thereof below the a sorbent,,the apertures in the conduit being so arranged that gases passing in a straight line therethrou h will be directed downwardly away from t e solid absorbent, and an apertured conduit entering the other end of said apparatus through a port and extending substantially the length thereof above the absorbent, the apertures in the last named conduit being so arranged that gases passing in a strai ht line therethrough will be directed upwar ly away from the solid absorbent.

In testimony whereof we afix our signatures.

CLYDE L. VORESS. ROBERT W. SKOOG. VERNON C. CANTER. 

